Helicopter Parenting Can Help Children Recover From Concussions

Concussions in children are alarmingly frequent, affecting over a million children in the U.S. each year. An estimated 50% of all concussions are undetected, unreported, and untreated. As the founder and director of a concussion clinic in New York, I see my fair share of concerned parents who want to do everything they can to help their kids heal from concussion. It’s a good instinct: Early and active intervention with targeted therapies is critical. From years of caring for children and adolescents with concussion, my team and I wondered if the parents most involved in their children’s recovery—some might call them “helicopter parents”—could be a key part of navigating a serious medical problem which, left untreated, may have devastating consequences. Our society has turned against helicopter parents, viewing them as unnecessarily controlling. But they are uniquely valuable as a temporary framework for healing. The treatment regimen for concussion involves drastic lifestyle changes surrounding their daily screen-time exposure, shifting circadian rhythms, intellectual stimulation, and the cognitive demands of school or work. Everything has to be turned down or dialed back, sometime...